are there any plans for adding the iconix methodology (especially the robustness diagram type) ?
The nice thing about robustness diagrams are, that you unfold the UseCase diagrams using one robustness diagram showing all relevant elements such as Actors, Screens, DataStores and ActionControllers robustness diagram allows a complete view of the processes and the domain model in one diagram).
Does VP UML offer an alternative to the robustness modeling (I want to have Actors, Screens, DataStores and ActivityControllers being modeled along in one subdiagram underneath the UseCase) ?
Thank you for your post. We already support robustness modeling. Take class diagram as an example. Classes that are stereotyped as control, entity or boundary will show as robustness analysis icons. Here are the steps:
Right-click on a class
Select Stereotypes > Stereotypes… from the popup menu
Select control/entity/boundary
Press OK
You will find the classes will appear in robustness analysis icons. To make them show like the normal classes:
Right-click on the class
De-select Presentation Options > Display as Robustness Analysis Icon from the popup menu
Thanks for your post. Could you please tell me hat do you mean by “I can not fine ‘actor’ stereotype”?
Do you want to set stereotype for actor, or you want something shows with actor stereotype? Could you please let me know what do you want to do? Thanks in advance!
Thanks for your post. Could you please tell me hat do you mean by “I can not fine ‘actor’ stereotype”?
Do you want to set stereotype for actor, or you want something shows with actor stereotype? Could you please let me know what do you want to do? Thanks in advance!
In the ICONIX Robustness Diagram you also need Actors.
As we are using a Class Diagram to implement the Robustness Diagram, this means we have to put an Actor on a Class Diagram.
I found a way to do this: Open a Use Case Diagram in the Diagram Navigator to the left and then drag the desired Actor onto the Class Diagram.
But we are still not there, yet: It should be possible now to associate the Actor with a Boundary Object (i.e. a Class “stereotyped” as a Boundary Object). But this is not allowed, obviously, because we are in a validated Class Diagram.
What would be the best solution for this new problem?
Just talking to myself (I am the guy who made the previous posting)…
Here are the notes I made for myself for creating ICONIX Robustness Diagrams in Visual Paradigm:
Use an object diagram.
Drag Actors and Use Cases in via the Diagram Navigator.
Use Classes from the Domain Model or add new ones.
For the Classes there are stereotypes to give them the appearance of Boundary Objects, Entity Objects and Controllers (right-click on Class, Stereotypes…).
Use “Generic Connector” under “Common” to connect Actors with Boundary Objects. Unwanted relations automatically inserted because they exist in the Domain Model can be deleted from the Robustness Diagram without affecting the Domain Model.
Right-click on the Use Case, “Sub Diagrams”, “Add Existing Diagrams…” to associate the Robustness Diagrams with their Use Cases.
You are correct that you need to use generic connect to establish a type of relationship that is not documented in the UML specification (e.g. between Actor and Class). I would like to add a remark though. Please read the image attached. If you want to create class in use case diagram, click on the down arrow button at the top of diagram toolbar, and select Category > Class from the popup menu. By doing so you will see the category “Class” appended to the diagram toolbar, allowing you to create class.
I think I have found a better way to create an Iconix robustness diagram in VP. Currently I am doing it like this:
Use a Communication Diagram.
Drag Actors and Use Cases in via the Diagram Navigator.
Either drag in Classes from the Domain Model as “Lifeline” or add new Lifelines of the appropriate type (Control, Boundary, Entity). Classes dragged in from the Domain Model can be given the correct symbol by opening their specification and adding the desired stereotype (tab “Stereotypes”). This does not influence their appearance in the Domain Model class diagram.
Use the “Link” element to connect all objects.
Right-click on the Use Case, “Sub Diagrams”, “Add Existing Diagrams…” to associate the Robustness Diagrams with their Use Cases.
Thanks, but it sure would be nice to have “native” support for Robustness Diagram.
Other than the obvious advantage of not cobbling icons together from different diagram types, the other advantage to having “native” support is that you can convert your Robustness Diagram into a sequence diagram with one click. That’s what TogetherSoft used to do.
